Peanut Corp. of America, issued a recall for peanut butter made at plant in Blakely, Ga., since July 1due to the possibility of it being the source of the salmonella outbreak that has sickened at least 434 people in 43 states and may have contributed to five deaths.

The Lynchburg, Va. based company said it had recalled 21 lots of peanut butter in containers ranging from five to 50 pounds, as a precautionary measure. The source of the outbreak has not been established by either the company or the government health officials as yet. The recall was issued after a strain of salmonella was found in an open container of King Nut peanut butter in a long-term care facility in Minnesota.

"We deeply regret that this has happened," Stewart Parnell, owner and president of Peanut Corp. of America, said in a news release. "Out of an abundance of caution, we are voluntarily withdrawing this produce and contacting our customers."

Peanut Corp. of America recalled the peanut butter after the CDC identified it as a likely source of the outbreak and Minnesota health officials confirmed that salmonella found in a five-pound container of peanut butter genetically matched the bacteria involved in the nationwide outbreak. The company sells bulk peanut butter under the King Nut and Parnell's Pride labels which are sold to schools, hospitals and nursing homes, but are not available at retail stores. King Nut over the weekend had already recalled the peanut butter in the seven states where it distributed it.

Arty Schronce spokesman for the Georgia Department of Agriculture said so far they found nothing in samples tested from Peanut Corp.'s Blakely plant, but added the testing process can take several days. An FDA spokesman said, "At this time only one PCA plant is involved -- the Georgia plant."

Answering the question of how peanut butter could be behind the salmonella outbreak, Michael Doyle, director of the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia said, "If there are problems in the plant, like a leaky roof, there could be recontamination. Peanut butter plants are designed to be dry. If water gets into an environment where peanut butter is made, it's like putting gas on a fire. It flares up in terms of spreading the organism and allowing for growth of the organism."

The Peanut Corp. of America said it's working with the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.